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Does Teacher Turnover Disrupt Collaboration in Schools?

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Title: Does Teacher Turnover Disrupt Collaboration in Schools?
Authors: Harbatkin, Erica1 (AUTHOR), Moran, Alex J.2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Education Human Resources. Apr2026, Vol. 44 Issue 2, p346-394. 49p.
Subject Terms: *Teacher turnover, *Teacher collaboration, *Disadvantaged schools, *School improvement programs, *Education research, *School districts, *Teacher retention, *Teacher attitudes
Geographic Terms: Michigan
Abstract: While a relatively large research base shows that teacher collaboration can affect teacher turnover, little is known about whether the inverse is true—can teacher turnover affect collaboration? To the extent that the relationship between teacher turnover and collaboration is interdependent, models that fail to account for a cyclical relationship will misattribute the effects of collaboration to turnover, and vice versa. In this study, the authors examine whether different levels of teacher turnover appear to affect teacher reports of collaboration. They do so in the context of 35 low-performing turnaround districts in Michigan, where both teacher retention and collaboration are central to effective turnaround. Drawing on 2 years of administrative data linked to unique survey data from teachers in these districts, they use simple regression models to estimate the effect of turnover on teacher perceptions of collaboration. The associational findings suggest an interdependent relationship between turnover and collaboration. Specifically, the authors find that higher turnover is associated with lower collaboration but only to a point. At the highest levels of turnover, teachers report greater collaboration. Black teachers in particular report more positive collaboration in the highest turnover contexts. This nonlinear relationship appears to stem from increased willingness to collaborate among teachers in the highest turnover schools. They conclude with a discussion of implications for teacher retention, collaboration, and school improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Education Human Resources is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+turnover%22">Teacher turnover</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+collaboration%22">Teacher collaboration</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disadvantaged+schools%22">Disadvantaged schools</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+improvement+programs%22">School improvement programs</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+research%22">Education research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+districts%22">School districts</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+retention%22">Teacher retention</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+attitudes%22">Teacher attitudes</searchLink>
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  Data: While a relatively large research base shows that teacher collaboration can affect teacher turnover, little is known about whether the inverse is true—can teacher turnover affect collaboration? To the extent that the relationship between teacher turnover and collaboration is interdependent, models that fail to account for a cyclical relationship will misattribute the effects of collaboration to turnover, and vice versa. In this study, the authors examine whether different levels of teacher turnover appear to affect teacher reports of collaboration. They do so in the context of 35 low-performing turnaround districts in Michigan, where both teacher retention and collaboration are central to effective turnaround. Drawing on 2 years of administrative data linked to unique survey data from teachers in these districts, they use simple regression models to estimate the effect of turnover on teacher perceptions of collaboration. The associational findings suggest an interdependent relationship between turnover and collaboration. Specifically, the authors find that higher turnover is associated with lower collaboration but only to a point. At the highest levels of turnover, teachers report greater collaboration. Black teachers in particular report more positive collaboration in the highest turnover contexts. This nonlinear relationship appears to stem from increased willingness to collaborate among teachers in the highest turnover schools. They conclude with a discussion of implications for teacher retention, collaboration, and school improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Education Human Resources is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3138/jehr-2024-0037
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher turnover
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher collaboration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Disadvantaged schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School improvement programs
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      – SubjectFull: Education research
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      – SubjectFull: School districts
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher retention
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Michigan
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      – TitleFull: Does Teacher Turnover Disrupt Collaboration in Schools?
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              Text: Apr2026
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              Y: 2026
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